An unarmed police officer paralysed during the Westminster Bridge terror attack has paid tribute to his colleague Keith Palmer who died in the tragedy.
PC Kris Aves spent eight days in a coma and seven months at Stoke Mandeville Hospital being treated for his life-changing injuries following the attack in March 2017.
The brave officer was able to return to his home in Barnet, north London following extensive work carried out on the property by the BBC show DIY SOS team.
PC Kris Aves was mown down by a car driven by terrorist Khalid Masood in March, leaving him with a devastating spinal chord injury
PC Aves’ home in East Barnet was modified by the DIY SOS team so he could be reunited with his family
PC Kris Alves, pictured with his partner Marissa, thanked the DIY SOS team for adapting his home following his horrendous injuries
Speaking to The Mirror ahead of tonight’s broadcast, PC Aves, 35, said: ‘If I was to think back, I’d think about PC Keith Palmer and the numerous people injured. I feel for those people.’
PC Aves was on Westminster bridge when he was run over by Khalid Masood who was driving a rented 4×4.
The father-of-two suffered broken legs as well as head, chest and arm injuries plus devastating damage to his spinal cord.
PC Aves, who was left wheelchair-bound and with no mobility from the chest down, had to stay at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, in Buckinghamshire, as his north London home was unsuitable for his rehabilitation.
DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles told The Sun: ‘We usually need about 250 to 300 builders to take part in a DIY SOS project. This time the response was huge — 900 people applied.
‘There were so many we had to turn many of them away. In the end about 300 tradespeople worked for nine days without pay so Kris could again spend Daddy time with his children.
‘In his job Kris looked after us and kept us safe and so many kind-hearted people wanted to repay the favour.’
His home had a large front step he couldn’t negotiate and he struggled to fit through the narrow doorways.
There was no bathroom on the ground floor and the kitchen needed changing. His modified home also required a lift.
But the hero cop is now home again thanks to the ‘biggest response ever’ to a DIY SOS appeal with builders, electricians and joiners all working on refurbishment plans by designer Gabrielle Blackman.
In just nine days they made vital changes to his East Barnet home which meant he could finally be reunited with his partner Marissa and his son, six, and daughter, four.
Speaking from his hospital bed before leaving hospital the 35-year-old said: ‘I’m worried about getting daddy time back. It’s just been taken away from you, and it’s not fair.
‘I need to rebuild a relationship with my family. It’s been too long.’
In just nine days the DIY SOS team made vital changes to his home which meant he could finally be reunited with his partner Marissa and his son, six, and daughter, four
DIY SOS host Nick Knowles said the ‘amazing’ volunteers’ worked round the clock to bring PC Aves home to his family
Nick Knowles said the army of ‘amazing volunteers’ worked round the clock to bring the hero cop back home to his family
DIY SOS host Nick Knowles said: ‘I’m not going to pretend we had to find an army, because the moment people knew what we were doing we had the biggest response ever.’
He said the ‘amazing volunteers’ worked round the clock to bring PC Aves home to his family.
A volunteer added: ‘We want to give back to the people that protect us.’
PC Kris Aves was mown down by a car driven by terrorist Khalid Masood in March, leaving him with a devastating spinal chord injury
PC Aves was walking across the bridge with colleagues PC Roger Smith and PC Bradley Bryant on March 22 when they were hit by the 4×4.
The trio were returning from a ceremony to honour officers who deal with public order issues.
Masood killed four people by ramming them with his car on Westminster Bridge before stabbing to death Keith PC Palmer just inside the grounds of Parliament.
Masood was shot dead by police after attacking PC Palmer.
In total Masood’s murderous rampage lasted just 82 seconds.
Mother-of-two Aysha Frade, US tourist Kurt Cochran and retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes died after Masood drove his car into people on Westminster Bridge.
Romanian tourist Andreea Cristea was knocked into the Thames from the bridge. She died just over two weeks later.
The refurbishment of PC Aves’ home will appear on DIY SOS on BBC One, tonight at 8pm
Masood killed four people by ramming them with his car on Westminster Bridge before stabbing to death Keith PC Palmer just inside the grounds of Parliament